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US 9,039,895 B1Granted
Oil spill clean-up vessel with ice displacement capabilities
OwnerRocky R. Rileyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An oil spill clean-up apparatus and method, and more specifically to a self-contained oil spill clean-up vessel with ice displacement capabilities. One preferred oil spill clean-up system includes a vessel subsystem, an ice displacement subsystem, and an oil spill skimming subsystem. Preferred oil spill clean-up systems may include at least one storage subsystem. Preferred oil spill clean-up systems may include an oil/water separation and removal subsystem.
Claims17
An oil clean-up system comprising:
- (a) a vessel subsystem having a front and a back, said vessel subsystem including at least one at least partially hollow float;
- (b) an ice displacement subsystem positioned to displace free-floating ice from said vessel subsystem's traveling path through the surface of water as said vessel subsystem is propelled forward, said ice displacement subsystem associated with said front of said vessel subsystem;
- (c) an oil spill skimming subsystem;
- (d) at least one storage subsystem;
- and
- (e) an oil/water separation and removal subsystem;
- wherein said oil spill skimming subsystem includes a rotating drum for skimming oil, said rotating drum having two outer periphery ends and a center positioned midway between said two outer periphery ends, said rotating drum having a center axle and an outer surface, said rotating drum having angled grooves in the surface thereof, said angled grooves angled to be near said surface at said center of said rotating drum and toward said center axle at said two outer periphery ends, said angled grooves directing oil flow away from said center of said rotating drum, toward said two outer periphery ends, and to said at least one storage subsystem.
4 more elements
An oil clean-up system comprising:
- (a) a vessel subsystem, said vessel subsystem including two parallel elongate pontoon-like floats that are at least partially hollow;
- and
- (b) an oil spill skimming subsystem, said oil spill skimming subsystem includes a rotating drum for skimming oil, said rotating drum having two outer periphery ends and a center positioned midway between said two outer periphery ends, said rotating drum having a center axle and an outer surface, said rotating drum having angled grooves in the surface thereof, said angled grooves angled to direct oil skimmed and lifted by said rotating drum toward at least one storage subsystem positioned near at least one of said two outer periphery ends, said angled grooves directing oil flow away from said center of said rotating drum, toward said two outer periphery ends, and to said at least one storage subsystem.
An oil clean-up system comprising:
- (a) a vessel subsystem, said vessel subsystem including two parallel elongate pontoon-like floats that are at least partially hollow;
- (b) an ice displacement subsystem positioned to displace free-floating ice from said vessel subsystem's traveling path through the surface of water as said vessel subsystem is propelled forward, said ice displacement subsystem including a grate generally spanning a front of the vessel subsystem;
- (c) an oil spill skimming subsystem, said oil spill skimming subsystem includes a rotating drum for skimming oil, said rotating drum having two outer periphery ends and a center positioned midway between said two outer periphery ends, said rotating drum having a center axle and an outer surface, said rotating drum having angled grooves in the surface thereof, said angled grooves angled to be near said surface at said center of said rotating drum and toward said center axle at said two outer periphery ends;
- and
- (d) at least one storage subsystem, said angled grooves angled to direct the flow of oil skimmed and lifted by said rotating drum toward said at least one storage subsystem positioned near at least one of said two outer periphery ends.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.